This blog contains a series of movie segments to be used to brainstorm, warm up, follow up, and activate schemata, preparing the students for the topic that will be discussed in class. Here you will find the segments, the lesson plans, and varied topics to foster conversation. You may use the activities for a full two-hour class or they can be used separately to brainstorm or wrap up the topic, focusing on conversation, vocabulary and listening comprehension.

With the ever growing traffic on roads, comes the menace of road accidents. In this regard, the life of a taxi driver or a chauffeur is more miserable than anyone who is driving his/her personal vehicle. The number of people getting fatal injuries is very high in this job.

Stuntman

We all share a feeling of awe for actors and actresses seeing them perform dangerous stunts in a movie or advertisement. In reality these stunts are performed by stuntmen. Even after the advent of technology in this field, this job is still regarded among the top most dangerous jobs in the world.

Roofers and Linemen

The risk factor involved in the job of a power line installer or repairer is the risk of electrocution from the high voltage lines. Moreover, they are also at a high risk of falling due to high location of the power lines.

Structural Iron and Steel Workers

People working in the structural Iron and Steel industry are always at a risk of falling from the very structures they build despite the fact that nowadays, the safety measures are in place.

Flying Engineers and Aircraft Pilots

The job of a pilot is more dangerous than others because of the responsibility that they carry on their shoulders and the risk that are inherent in their job. Although the financial prospects are very high in this job but the risks involved are far more dangerous in nature than they are assessed. It is no news that repetitious engine failures have more often than not resulted in crashes. The risks involved in the job of a test pilot who are required to test aircraft are far more than an ordinary aircraft pilot. And those pilots who work in rescue operations are more prone to dangers as they are required to work for long hours in very tough weather conditions.

Timber and Logging Workers

The prime responsibility of a timber cutter is to cut and transport trees. And the risk involved in this job is the falling of the tree on the timber and logging worker. The timber and logging workers are more prone to hazards as they are required to work under tough weather and geographical conditions.

Military and Police Personnel

To use the words of Jack Nicholson from the movie-’A few good men’, we live in a world that has walls and those walls need to be guarded by men with guns. Every state has defense as an essential component of its existence.

Fisherman

Ever thought why sea-food is so expensive? Yes, it is so because of the transportation costs but the more important reason is that deep-sea fishing is the most-dangerous job on this planet for the simple reason that the gravity hardships that a fisherman encounters cannot be over-stated. They are constantly at risk of drowning because of the unpredictable nature of sea weather.

II. Do you agree with their list? What other dangerous occupations would you add to the list?

Sunday, October 19, 2014

This is a worth-seeing film. I loved the way they portray the Civil Rights Movement in the USA.

Work in pairs:

1. What do you know about Martin Luther King and his fight against discrimination in the USA?

2. How were African Americans viewed in the 50's and 60's? How are they seen nowadays?

3. Read the text below and then share what your read with a partner, using your own words.

The African-American Civil Rights Movement was an ongoing fight for racial equality that took place for over 100 years after the Civil War.

The Civil Rights Movement has its background in the abolitionist movement before the Civil War. After the war, slavery was made illegal with the thirteenth amendment to the US Constitution. After the Civil War, many southern states continued to treat African-Americans as second class citizens. They implemented laws that kept black people separate from white people.They required separate schools, restaurants, restrooms, and transportation based on the color of a person's skin. Other laws prevented many black people from voting.

The 1950's and early 1960's brought about several major events in the fight for the civil rights of African-Americans. In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on the bus to a white passenger. This sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott which lasted for over a year and brought Martin Luther King, Jr. to the forefront of the movement. King led a number of non-violent protests.

The Civil Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. This act outlawed segregation and the Jim Crow laws of the south. It also outlawed discrimination based on race, national background, and gender. Although there were still many issues, this law gave the NAACP and other organizations a strong base on which to fight discrimination in the courts.

Friday, October 10, 2014

This is a scary movie, but this scene is
great. It shows a child that was separated from society and spends several
years alone in the jungle.

I. Discuss with a partner:

1) What is your earliest memory? How old were you?

2) Do you remember your first school? What do you remember?

3) How would you think someone's life would be if he/she were separated from
society at his/her very early years?

4) Could this person be reintegrated to society? What difficulties would they face?

5) Have you heard of the stories of Mowgli and Romulus & Reno*, who
were raised by wolves? What do you know about them?

* In ancient mythology, Romulus and Remus were brothers who were raised
by wolves and went on to become the founders of Rome. In Rudyard Kipling’s The
Jungle Book, Mowgli is a boy who lives in the wild and behaves like one of the
animals. He is stronger and lives by a higher moral code than most human
children.

II. Read the definition of Feral Children below and then discuss the questions:

A feral child (also,
colloquially, wild child) is a child who has lived
isolated from human contact from a very young age, and has no (or little)
experience of human care, loving or social behavior, and crucially, of human
language. Some feral children have been confined by people (usually their
own parents); in some cases this abandonment was due to the parents’
rejection of a child’s severe intellectual or physical impairment. Feral
children may have experienced severe trauma before being abandoned
or running away. Feral children are sometimes the subjects of folklore and
legends, typically portrayed as having been brought up by animals.

Scientific Interest in Feral Children:

Feral children provide scientists an interesting view of humanity that
no other person could provide. Feral children are devoid of acculturation, meaning they lack the basic social skills and
communication skills that are naturally developed in a healthy child when they
are surrounded by other people. More than anything else, however, feral
children have changed the way scientists look at human language. Having never been exposed to human language, feral children do not
speak. In fact, they have a severely impaired ability to learn language
and inter human communication. This supports a hypothesis known
as the Critical Period Theory. This hypothesis states that first language
acquisition can only occur during a critical development period, when children
are very young.

MY OTHER BLOG

Movie Segments to Assess Grammar Goals

About Me

I'm a teacher at Casa Thomas Jefferson, Brasilia, Brazil. I'm a Branch Coordinator and Teacher Trainer as well. I really like movies and seeing them with "different" eyes, trying to see how I can use them in my classroom. Recently, I have dedicated my ideas to grammar activities with movie segments because, apparently, teachers use movies for many purposes, but grammar. Working with movie segments fosters students' production and interest. I truly believe that grammar exercises should be attractive. I have just developed a new blog for movie segments to enhance topic based classes, focusing on conversation, listening comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. If you have suggestions for the blogs and the activities, just say it!

Casa Thomas Jefferson

O Inglês Como Deve Ser

Welcome

The main purpose of this blog is to share activities to enhance the teacher's lesson plan. They will not replace the course book, but they will make the lessons more attractive and richer. Share your warm-up activity with movie segments too. You may email it to me at claudioazevedo@thomas.org.br and the activity will be credited to you with a link to your own site if it's the case. Give me suggestions for topics and segments too, please. Isn't sharing just fantastic?